1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an assembly structured to strengthen, rehabilitate and/or generally exercise predetermined portions of the user's body including the ankle, foot, leg, knee and associated portions thereof, through the provision of a platform, to which the user's foot is secured, and wherein the platform is configured to rotate or otherwise move, concurrently or independently through any one of a plurality of paths of movement including three orthogonal axes of rotation, dependent on which predetermined portion of the user's body the exercise is intended to be concentrated.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years there is been an ever increasing tendency for the general population to follow a healthier life style in an effort to improve a person's general well being and also to improve ones appearance. Such an improved life style frequently incorporates a low fat diet in addition to an increased amount of physical activity in the form of exercise. In typical fashion, an exercise regiment undertaken by most individuals who are concerned with their overall well being, includes cardiovascular type exercises. In addition, many individuals are concerned with the development of specific muscle groups or areas of the body, which require rehabilitation or where fat deposits have collected. In order to perform the required exercises in a more efficient and convenient manner, different types of exercise equipment have been developed. Such equipment is typically designed to facilitate the performance of specific exercises which concentrate on predetermined areas of the body, dependent on which portion of the body or specific muscle group a person wishes to develop.
Numerous exercise assemblies of somewhat conventional design are known and commercially available and typically include springs, flexible material bands, weights and/or elastic resistance elements. Such conventional resistance structures are normally connected to a plurality of different attachment members and/or platforms designed to support or otherwise engage the user of the apparatus in a predetermined, intended manner. In addition, known or conventional exercise assemblies are often designed and structured to allow the performance of one or more exercises in a manner which hopefully provides the most benefits to the muscle groupings or other portions of a user's body which require strengthening, rehabilitation or general exercise. In addition to the above, as part of certain known or conventional exercise assemblies, utilization of substantially large and somewhat fixed apparatus is sometimes required. Such apparatus, while generally not being motorized, frequently includes relatively complicated or sophisticated structural components, which are designed and structured to facilitate performance of a specific exercise or movement of the body. Conventionally, large or more permanent type of apparatus usually includes some type of support platform having sufficient structural integrity to support at least a portion, if not all, of the user's weight so as to orient the user in a position which facilitates manipulation of a predetermined resistance assembly.
The industry associated with the design and manufacture of exercise equipment has made certain concerted efforts to develop a wide variety of apparatus and/or equipment in an effort to satisfy the various segments of the consuming public concerned with the development of different portions of the body. Such “specialized” equipment varies significantly, at least from a structural standpoint, since the exercise intended to be performed is designed to be concentrated on a specific area of the user's body.
By way of example, there are currently in use many devices designed specifically for the exercise of the lower leg, including the foot, ankle, and associated muscle groups or joint portions of the user's body. Typically, such devices are portable in nature and include some form of pulling force or stress being applied to the foot, ankle or leg portion by the user, either by manually applying such forces or utilizing some type of related resistance device, such as the types discussed above. Other known or conventionally structured exercise devices, which are particularly aimed at the exercise or strengthening of the lower leg, ankle, foot, etc., may incorporate more mechanized features which concentrate the application of resistance forces to more specific areas of this portion of the user's body. It can be appreciated that devices specifically designed to rehabilitate, strengthen or generally exercise the lower leg portions of an individual's body, as outlined in more detail above, may assume a wide variety of other structural configurations. This is at least partially due to the fact that the human foot is capable of a wide range of motion because of the unique structure of the human ankle joint, foot and lower leg. The primary motion provided by the ankle joint is dorsal and plantar flexion. In performing plantar flexion, the foot is rotated about the ankle joint in a manner which moves the toes downward, below the ankle. This is accomplished when a person stands on their toes. In a dorsal flexion the foot is pivoted about the ankle joint to draw the toes upward above the heel. The ankle joint also permits limited motion in inversion and eversion. In inversion, the soles of both feet move towards each other as when both feet are inverted simultaneously. In addition the foot and ankle joint may be rotated about an axes extending about the ankle joint and heel by action of the tibia and fibula, which are the bones forming the lower leg.
Due to the obvious versatility in the range of motion, it can be appreciated that proper exercise directed towards the lower leg, ankle, foot, knee, etc. could best be accomplished by an improved exercise assembly, which is capable of directing the foot, preferably under the application resistive force through a plurality of different movements which may include some or all of the three orthogonal axis of rotation (x, y & z). Each such movement would preferably vary, at least to the extent of concentrating forces or stresses, resulting from the motion of the foot, on the predetermined joints, muscle groupings or associated portions of the area of the user's body, which require exercise, strengthening or rehabilitation.
To date none of the conventional known and relatively unsophisticated exercise devices are capable of performing beneficial exercises in an effective and efficient manner and with sufficient versatility such that various ones of the different muscle groupings, joints, or related portions, etc., may be specifically targeted.